Howdy Folks! This will make for an interesting first post... In any event, I bought some chicken from Costco on Monday evening (sealed package of chicken breasts), and I took them out today during lunch to set marinating. When I opened the package there was a slight odor, that seemed to subside by the time they were in the cutting board. After I halved the breasts, I could pretty much almost touch my nose to them and there was nothing unpleasant. So I put them in a bag, and put them back in the fridge while I made the marinade. When I took them back out 10 minute later and opened the bag they were in, the slight odor was back. So... Are they ok? The sell by date is the 18th. Cheers!

Chicken, like some kinds of fish, are not necessarily completely odor-free. Spoiled chicken is a definite odor you will recognize and never forget. As long as it was kept at a safe temperature and it has not reached the expiration date, and the odor isn't rank, I would tend to trust it. But that's me. I shouldn't advise you one way or the other.

I baked some chicken just a few hours ago, and it too had an odor, but a normal "chicken" smell, which isn't appetizing, but one that is common. For a short time in my younger days, I worked at Tyson's chicken processing plant as a second job, and believe me, chicken has a "normal" odor!

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"Food is our common ground, a universal experience." - James Beard

Well, other than the trip home (I hate shopping in the summer), where it endured a 15 minute car drive in the 100 degree heat, it went straight from the store to my fridge. As far as I know my fridge is maintained at slightly below 40 F.

Well, other than the trip home (I hate shopping in the summer), where it endured a 15 minute car drive in the 100 degree heat, it went straight from the store to my fridge. As far as I know my fridge is maintained at slightly below 40 F.

I would say that it is most likely alright. Bad smells are what you are looking (smelling?) for.

I invested in a cooler that I add ice to on shopping days, it stays in the car in the summer, my first stop, ice is added and my perishables go in there. I can shop for a good 6 hours without anything going off.

__________________“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” - Albert Einstein

I invested in a cooler that I add ice to on shopping days, it stays in the car in the summer, my first stop, ice is added and my perishables go in there. I can shop for a good 6 hours without anything going off.

I do exactly the same thing, PrincessFiona. I have one of the rolling coolers that has an expandable handle on the back. The only time I have to lift it is from the van to the ground, and then I just roll it into the kitchen and unpack it.

Most of my shopping is at stores that are about 30 miles from my home. In this 100F heat we've been having, the cooler works perfectly and I never have to worry about anything going bad.

I keep a small whisk broom on the porch to quickly brush the driveway dirt from the wheels before bringing it into the house.

If it stinks throw it out, if it's not an offending smell it's fine. Cheaper chicken tends to smell a bit more than free range or organic etc. I find that when I buy supermarket chickens they have an odour. I agree with those who said chicken does have a smell but you'll know if it's off.
Hint: When I buy so called cheap chickens I boil them for a few mins in water with salt and a few cloves, it removes the "fishy" smell as my gran used to say :)

__________________Odette "I used to jog but the ice cubes kept falling out of my glass."

Since hubby doesn't eat any red meat, I buy & cook a LOT of poultry. That slight odor you detect that quickly disappears is just due to the meats confinement under the wrapping. I've detected it even when buying freshly butchered poultry from my local organic guy.

If the meat was truly spoiled, the smell would not only be very unpleasant, but wouldn't disappear.